The Georgia Republican party expelled the state's former lieutenant governor, Geoff Duncan, for disloyalty in a victory for Donald Trump.
Duncan became a critic of Trump over the 2020 election results, which divided Trump and Georgia Republican leaders like Governor Brian Kemp. However, while Kemp came around to backing Trump in 2024, Duncan actively campaigned for Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
In a unanimous decision, the state party banished Duncan on January 6th, the same day that Trump's re-election was certified in Washington D.C.
Duncan opted against seeking re-election in 2022 and became a furious critic of his own party, which he called a cult of personality worshiping a "felonist thug" in an appearance supporting Harris at the Democratic National Convention.
Duncan had also supported Joe Biden's scuttled re-election bid, writing an article last year in which he said Trump was disqualified by his conduct before the "horrific" events of the January 6th, 2021, riot at the Capitol.
Trump won the presidency back with a broad popular coalition, delivering the best results for the GOP in decades and leaving the "Never Trump" movement spearheaded by Republican Liz Cheney adrift as voters shrugged at alarmist rhetoric depicting Trump as an aspiring dictator.
In their resolution banning Duncan, the Georgia Republican party said his conduct shows he is not even nominally Republican despite his continued use of the GOP label.
“By his pattern of conduct, Duncan has forfeited any claim to being even a nominal ‘Republican,’” the Georgia GOP's resolution read.
The resolution bars Duncan from seeking elected office as a Republican or calling himself a GOP member in media appearances.
"We have demanded that Duncan cease calling himself a ‘Republican’ and using his false credential as a ‘Republican’ to undermine and sabotage the Republican Party and its candidates," the resolution stated.
Despite his furious criticism of the party, Duncan was displeased with being expelled, calling the move a distraction from more important business.
“Hard to believe this is a good use of time for a party that’s only got a limited amount of time to figure out mass deportations, world peace and global tariffs. Learn how to take a victory lap not light another dumpster fire @JoshMcKoon,” he wrote on X.
President-elect Trump's victory was certified Monday, on the fourth anniversary of the January 6th, 2021, riot. Democrats took the occasion to lecture the country about "our democracy", although it's unclear how many Americans were still listening.
